Wayland prepares athletic leaders with new doctoral concentration
PLAINVIEW, TX — As school athletics programs face increasingly complex leadership, compliance, and operational challenges, Wayland Baptist University is launching a new Athletic Administration concentration within its Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) program, providing current and aspiring athletic leaders with doctoral-level preparation rooted in strategic leadership and Christian principles.
The first cohort will begin classes Aug. 10 as part of Wayland’s next eight-week term. Athletic Administration becomes the fifth concentration offered within the DSL program, joining Christian Ministry, Education, Humanities & Culture, and Nursing Organizational Leadership. Like the other concentrations, Athletic Administration combines the program’s leadership core with 12 hours of specialized coursework designed for professionals in the field.
“The Doctor of Strategic Leadership was created to prepare leaders to serve with excellence across a variety of professional settings,” said Dr. Karen Beth Strovas, Dean of Wayland’s School of Humanities and Leadership. “The addition of the Athletic Administration concentration allows us to respond to a growing need within educational athletics while maintaining the strategic leadership foundation that defines the DSL program. We are preparing leaders who can strengthen organizations, develop people, and serve with integrity.”
While many universities offer Doctor of Education programs with athletics-related emphases, Wayland is believed to be among the first to offer Athletic Administration as a concentration within a DSL. The program provides professionals with a doctoral pathway that emphasizes strategic leadership alongside the operational demands of athletics administration.
Designed for athletic directors, coaches, principals, district leaders, and other education professionals, the concentration prepares leaders for the operational and administrative responsibilities that accompany today’s athletic programs. Specialized coursework includes Title IX and compliance, facilities and event management, strategic finance and fundraising, and athletic leadership and ethics. The curriculum is informed by professional competencies established by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), preparing graduates for the organization’s certification examination while integrating a Christian worldview throughout the program.
Dr. Michael Morris, Associate Dean of Exercise and Sport Science in Wayland’s Don A. Williams School of Education, said the concentration addresses an important need within educational athletics.
“What makes this concentration especially valuable is its focus on preparing leaders for the operational and human side of athletics administration,” Morris said. “Many individuals enter athletic leadership roles with strong coaching backgrounds or collegiate athletic experience, yet often receive limited formal preparation in the governance, oversight, and administrative dimensions specific to educational athletics. This program seeks to bridge that gap.”
The concentration will be supported by faculty with expertise in athletics, Title IX, and leadership, including Morris and Dr. Justin Lawrence, associate dean in Wayland’s School of Behavioral and Social Sciences and professor of Criminal Justice and Public Administration. At the same time, students complete the DSL leadership core with Wayland’s doctoral leadership faculty.
Offered entirely online, the 54-hour doctoral program can be completed in as few as two years through five eight-week terms, while a four-year pathway is also available for working professionals.
About Wayland Baptist University
Established in 1908, Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment. Wayland operates campuses in Plainview, Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as Arizona, Hawaii, and online.
